The Road to Hell
by GuiltyPleasureGA
Summary: Post S4 finale - Lucifer is in Hell. Chloe has a plan to see him again someday. This road to Hell is not paved with good intentions. Deckerstar.
1. Chapter 1

Post S4 finale - Lucifer is in Hell. Chloe has a plan to see him again someday. This road to Hell is not paved with good intentions. Deckerstar.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. This is simply a way for me to get my ideas out of my head.

* * *

It's been one month, two days, 1 hour, and 17 minutes since Lucifer had returned to hell, but who's counting? As much as she tried not to, Chloe Decker couldn't help but keep track of how long it had been since his departure. At this point, it was an almost unconscious reaction when she looked at her watch. Her brain would automatically calculate how much more time had passed. She hadn't had an easy time since she had last laid eyes on him.

**One month, two days, 1 hour, and 17 minutes ago …**

"Lucifer!" she screamed out while lunging toward him with hands outstretched, fingers searching for any piece of him she might be able to grasp. It was too late. Her upper half teetered dangerously over the edge of the railing. The height was dizzying, but she refused to lean back onto the balcony. Her eyes frantically swept the space below, looking for any sign of him. There was nothing. He was gone. Letting her body shift back onto the safety of the balcony, she sank to the ground, pressed up against the glass railing. She listened as a clock chimed from somewhere within the penthouse. Midnight. Oddly fitting. It was Midnight and the man she loved was gone. She didn't know what to do or who to call. Should she cry? Scream? Break something? Who does she need to tell first? Amenadiel? Maze? She was at a loss, so as one often does when overwhelmed with insurmountable grief, she did nothing. She just sat there, a crumpled mess of a human being. There was a strange sensation in the pit of her stomach. It took awhile for her to realize what it was. Loneliness. Emptiness. The feeling that a piece of her was missing.

She hadn't even realized how long she'd been sitting there until she noticed the first light of dawn. She pulled herself up so she was facing out toward the open sky. As she shook out the pins and needles from her legs, she couldn't help but bitterly mumble, "What's so great about sunrises anyway?"

Taking in as much detail as she could, she made her way through the penthouse. Her fingers trailed lightly over his piano as she passed it, memories flooding into her mind. She paused as she reached the seat. Briefly, the urge to sit and play a few notes was overwhelming. Before she could, there was a jolt through her heart, as she thought, "What if his nimble fingers never grace these keys again?" He was gone, but for how long? A week? A year? Forever? There were so many unanswered questions, but the ever realistic detective, she had already started preparing herself for the worst. She was never going to see him again.

Turning to face the penthouse after she stepped into the elevator, Chloe hesitated before pressing the button. She wasn't sure when she would be back here and wanted to soak in as much as she could. It was her only remaining teather to him.

She needed some time and space to process the possibility that he was truly gone, but before she could, there were a few things she had to do.

* * *

Her hand hovered centimeters away from Linda's door. This was her third attempt at knocking, but she could never bring herself to actually bring her knuckles down on the wood. She wasn't ready to admit out loud that he had left. Not just that he left, but where he had gone to. The thought of him being back there, in a place he despised, made her heart ache. Her hand fell back down to her side. For about the 20th time since she had resigned herself to come, she mentally rehearsed what she planned to say. As she raised her hand for the fourth time, the door flew open, Maze standing on the other side, looking annoyed.

"I've watched you standing here trying to knock. I can only assume you're here for Linda because of some "crisis" you're having with Lucifer. What? Did you guys finally do it or something?" Maze said, letting out a laugh. Her laugh abruptly halted as she studied the look on Chloe's face. "Oh, I'll go get Linda. Have a seat."

"Get Amenadiel too," Chloe croaked out, emotion already rising to the surface.

Maze cocked her head to the side, giving her a confused look, much the way Lucifer does when trying to figure out human emotion. She squinted slightly, taking one last look at Choe before turning and venturing into the house. Chloe made her way to the living room, sitting on the edge of the seat, ready to spring up and leave as soon as she had delivered the news. Leg bouncing up and down, her focus entirely on keeping her emotions in check long enough to get through this.

"Chloe? What's going on? It's a little early for a social visit?" Linda said as she entered the room, Amenadiel at her side, Maze lurking in the background.

Chloe, avoiding eye contact with any of them, spoke just loud enough for them to hear, "Maze, you are part of this too. You all might want to take a seat."

While waiting for them to get seated, she stared down at her hands, clasped together tightly, one thumb rubbing aggressively across the other. Still refusing to look up, she couldn't see the three anxious and confused faces seated across from her.

"Um. So. There's not really a good way to do this. I have to tell you something and it's not good news. It's actually really, really bad news. The kind of news that is never easy to deliver. News I've often had to deliver working in Law Enforcement, so why is it just not coming out! You'd think I would be able to do this. I mean, I spent the entire drive over hear rehearsing it, and then the whole time I spent on the porch! But the words just won't come -"

Chloe stopped abruptly as Maze grabbed her shoulders, shaking her. For the first time since entering the room, Chloe looked up, making eye contact. What she found were eyes filled with worry. "Chloe! Get it together! What's wrong?"

"He's back in Hell," Chloe blurted.

Maze sunk back down into here spot on the couch, head cocked back to the side.

Chloe watched as all three quickly cycled through confusion, realization, shock, and finally, devastation.

Linda was the first to break the silence, "Lucifer? Why? When? _How_?"

Before Chloe could attempt to answer, Maze had jumped to her feet, anger seething across her face, "Tell me who's responsible for this! I will kill them!"

"Now Maze, there is no need for that. Luci still has his wings. He's not trapped down there. I'm sure he will be back up very soon. Once he has returned to Earth, I'm sure he will work with the detective to seek the right form, the human form, of justice. Right, Chloe?" Amenadiel shifted his hopeful gaze toward Chloe as he spoke. His face fell as he caught sight of the look in her eyes.

"Um. I don't know if he's coming back. It doesn't look like he is. It was his choice to go."

Upon hearing this, Linda had a look of bewilderment on her face, "What do you mean it was his choice? Lucifer wouldn't willingly go back to Hell. Not unless something terrible happened. Wait? Did something terrible happen to make him want to leave? What did you do to him?"

A flash of anger boiled under Chloe's skin. How dare she?

"What do you mean, what did I do? Do you think this is my fault? Wow! Is that really what you think of me, Linda?" The words were spoken with a tinge of venom, Chloe's voice rising steadily. "I didn't DO anything! This was not my fault and I will not be accused of such! This was entirely his choice! His doing! I had nothing to do with it! If it were up to me, he would still be here, with us, with me. I need him. I… I…" Her anger broke and her faltered, "I love him," she finally managed, in soft whisper.

Linda had a sad expression on her face as she spoke, "I'm sorry, Chloe. I shouldn't have assumed this was your fault. I'm still confused though. I don't understand _why_ he chose to go back to Hell."

"He said that someone needed to sit on the throne to appeases the demonic masses."

"Well we will just have to find someone else to do it," Linda stated, matter of factly.

"It doesn't work like that, Linda. There is no one else. It is Lucifer's responsibility. It's the task set forth before him by our Father."

"You mean his punishment!" Chloe snapped at Amenadiel.

"Whatever you choose to call it, the fact remains the same that there is no one else. It is Father's plan."

"So that's it! After all you have seen and been through with him these last few years and you're already resigned to leaving him be in Hell? HELL! The literal worst place to be! He's your brother! I can't believe this! I'm done with this." Chloe growled as she snatched up her purse and stormed toward the door.

"Chloe, wait! Let's talk about this!" Linda called out behind her. It was useless. Chloe slammed the door behind her and was gone.

"Great work, Amenadiel," Linda stated, thick with sarcasm.

"Really? Based on how she left, I did not feel as though that went well," Amenadiel answered, the sarcasm being lost on him.

Maze rolled her eyes, asking, "So are we really not going to do anything about this? We can't just leave him there."

* * *

Dan was having a hard time listening to the details of the forensic report on his current case. As Ella was animatedly relaying all the gory details, he couldn't help but glance over toward Chloe's desk. It was not like her to be late.

"Earth to Dan?"

"Sorry, Ella. Have you heard from Chloe? She's not usually late."

"Nope, but I'm sure she's fine. It's Chloe. She is one pretty badass chick. Have you tried texting or calling her?"

"Not yet. I will shoot her a quick text."

Before he could get his phone unlocked, his screen lit up as a text from Chloe came though.

_Dan, he's gone. I need some time and space. I would like to take Trixie on a road trip. I'm not sure how long we will be gone. Is that ok? _

Dan stared at his phone for a moment, unsure of what she meant by _he's gone_.

"Oh, is that Chloe," Ella chimed in, interrupting his thought process.

"Yeah, but I'm not really certain what's going on."

He tilted the phone so she could read the text.

"What does she mean by _he's gone_?"

"I'm not sure. I was wondering the same thing."

"Than you should probably ask her."

"Good point," Dan responded as he typed out his message to Chloe.

_What do you mean? He's gone? Who's gone and where did they go?_

Both Dan and Ella stared at his phone, waiting for a response. The chimed again a few moments later.

_I can't go through this conversation again. He's gone.I can't be here right now. I need Trixie with me. Could you please let e know if you are okay with her coming with me._

Dan and Chloe exchange worried glances before Dan sighs and responds.

_Yes. that's fine. I understand. Have your space, but know that I will need more of an explanation._

Within seconds, Dan's phone chimes again, with a short _Thanks_ as Chloe's only response.

* * *

That text exchange was just over a month ago. Since then, Dan had only received pictures of Trixie smiling at places like the World's Largest Ball of Twine. Chloe would speak about Trixie, avoiding all other topics. Even the conversations about Trixie were short and curt, with the phone being handed off to Trixie quickly. When pressed, Trixie would only report that mommy is sad and nothing else about Chloe. Dan was sitting on his couch, waiting for that night's call to hear about whatever roadside attraction or amusement park they had seen that day. He was wondering how much longer this was going to last. He had started to send Chloe texts inquiring as much earlier in the week. His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. He swung around to look as he heard, "Hi, Daddy!"

"Trixie!" he gleefully called out as he stood and made his way toward her, scooping her into a big hug, "Oh, I missed you so much! Where's Mommy?" he asked, peering out the door.

"She helped my get all my bags in front of the door and then said she would make sure i got inside but that she had to go check on something."

Dan frowned, before turning his attention back to his daughter, "Tell me all about it!"

He smiled as his daughter launched into a very animated account of her travels.

* * *

As the elevator doors opened, she let a sharp exhale. She hadn't even realized she'd been holding her breath. Glancing around the penthouse, she was surprised at how disappointed she was. She knew he wouldn't be there. She knew he was still down in hell. She knew that Maze and Linda had prepared the penthouse to sit unoccupied for the foreseeable future. And yet, she had expected to find him sitting at his piano, drink sitting on top, while he played some ironic melody. She expected the penthouse to be bathed in a warm light. She expected to hear him cheerfully call out, "Detective!" She expected to be able to walk over and feel his warmth and the firmness of his presence.

Instead, she was greeted with darkness and silence. The small amount of light that filtered in from the moon cast strange shadows around the room, bouncing across the white sheets that covered the furniture.

She had known for three weeks that this would be the sight that greeted her. Even though Chloe never responded, Linda had continued to send updates on everyone. She told Chloe that Maze had taken over the operation of Lux. They had put the drop sheets over his things in the penthouse. Linda had said that they wanted Lux and the penthouse to be ready for him if he returned. _If. If he returned_. Reading the if had made Chloe's blood run cold. Apparently Amenadiel wasn't the only one resigned to letting him remain in Hell.

She stood in the threshold for a few moments longer, trying to shake off her disappointment. Without turning on the lights, she walked over to the bar, grabbed a bottle of Whiskey, and made a beeline for the bed. His bed. She ripped off the giant white drop sheet, pleased to see the bed still made with its fine silk sheets underneath. She kicked off her shoes and took a big swig of whiskey, before carefully peeling back the sheets back. She crawled into the bed and was immediately overwhelmed by his scent. She took a quick look at the time on her phone, before burrowing herself deeper into the bed. For the first time in one month, two days, 1 hour, and 17 minutes, she allowed herself to fully feel her loss. In that moment, she finally allowed herself to cry.

She didn't allow herself to cry for long, for she had work to do. Chloe Decker had a plan. What was that old saying? The road to hell is paved with good intentions? She isn't entirely sure if her intentions count as good, or not.

* * *

There you have it. I Have been playing around with this idea in my head since seeing the season 4 finale. The beginning came easily, as did the end. The end is partially finished, with the rest of it mapped out. I'm struggling a bit more with the middle. I figured I'd post the beginning, see what people thought. Curious if it's worth me continuing to slog through the middle and try to make something workable out of it. Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Here's chapter 2. Took a bit to get the ideas flowing and I'm not completely satisfied, but it's improvement from my first crack at this chapter. Feedback is always welcome. I discovered Lucifer very recently and while I've seen all the episodes, I don't know them or the characters inside and out just yet. I'm also coming off a multiyear hiatus from doing any form of creative writing. I feel pretty rusty.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. This is mostly for my own personal enjoyment.

* * *

She braced herself before walking around the corner. It was her first day back at work. It was also the first time she will see either Dan or Ella since before he had left. She mutters a few awkward hellos as she walks toward her desk. She immediately spots Dan and Ella talking near her desk. She could tell they were trying to make it look like they weren't waiting for her. They were failing miserably.

As she approaches she takes a deep breath before managing to say, "What? Does nobody actually work around here?"

She was surprised and grateful by how calm and even her voice came out.

Dan gave her a forced smiling before responding, "Hey. Martinez has been eyeballing your desk, so I'm just doing my duty as a friend to guard it for you. I'm glad to see your face around here again."

Ella rushes in for a huge hug and rapidly blurts out, "I'm so sorry about you-know-who. Man, I hate that guy! Well, I don't actually hate that guy, but if you need to pretend like I hate that guy than -"

Chloe cuts pushes out of the hug and moves toward her desk, cutting Ella off, "Guys. It's fine. I'm fine. Yes, he is gone, but I'm fine. I've got a lot to catch up on, so if you could just leave me to it."

"I was hoping to talk to you a bit more, seeing as how you didn't even bother to say hello when you dropped Trixie off last night."

"Seriously, Dan. I'm fine. I just want to get to work"

Dan and Ella exchange worried glances before walking away. She looks at a mountain of files, sighs, and starts in on the first one.

A little while later, she hears a commotion from around the corner. Looks up to see Maze hauling in a bounty, laughing. Chloe has a moment where she feels a flash of anger. "How dare Maze feel happy when she knows where Lucifer is?"

Maze spots her after handing off to uni and comes rushing over. Her voice loud enough for the precinct to hear. "Chloe! Where have you been? Why haven't you been answering anyone? You pop by Linda's, a month ago, barely squeak out that Lucifer returned to HELL and - "

Chloe grabs Maze's hand, shushing her while looking around at her coworkers staring at them, especially Dan and Ella. She drags Maze off to an interrogation room.

"Maze! This is not the time or place for this conversation! Everyone could hear you. All anyone else knows is that he is gone."

Maze's features became filled with anger as she steps closer to Chloe, poking a finger in her chest. "Shut it, Chloe! I don't care who hears. You showed up to tell me my friend was in hell and without further explanation you completely disappeared! You just left! You're lucky Linda stopped me from tracking you. Some bullshit about you needing space. What about what the rest of us need? We need answers." Maze pauses, the anger evaporating and worry streaking across her face. "He's family. So are you. We were worried. _I _was worried."

Chloe feels a twinge of guilt. "You're right, Maze. You deserve more than I gave you, but I honestly don't have much more to offer. All he said is that Hell needs a King. He had to return to keep them in line. Then he flew away. That's all the information I have. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work."

Chloe weaves around Maze, toward the door, but as she passes, Maze grabs her arm and spins her so she is facing Maze. "That can't be it. There has to be more. You need to tell me everything.'

Chloe yanks her arm free. "Let go of me. I have nothing more to say. I don't want to talk about him." Still fuming, Chloe rushes out of the room.

Dan and Ella are waiting a few feet away, once again failing to try and look inconspicuous. As she starts to walk past them, Maze storms out, let out an exasperated growl and shoves a uni out of the way as she exits the precinct.

Dan steps in front of Chloe, asking, "What was that about?"

"Nothing. You know Maze, gets all worked up over the smallest things."

With a hint of hope in her voice, Ella asks, "Does she know where Lucifer went?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Okay, but I really need more specifics. Is he gone like went-to-vegas-to-make-poor-choices-gone, or is he gone like someone-should-have-really-notified-his-next-of-kin gone? Because I have been calling and texting him like crazy with no response. I even swung by the penthouse several times, but it doesn't look like anyone has been there is awhile. Dan even got concerned and was checking the morgues for John Does. Chlo, you've got to give us something. Dudes like a brother to me."

Chloe can't help but feel another twinge of guilt. "He left… went down South. Way down South."

"You mean to tell me he's just partying it up down on some beach in Mexico! That scoundrel! We're over here worried, and he's having fun in the sun with booze and probably quite a fun scantily-clad ladies! Typical Lucifer! Wait! Why do seem to be so okay with it. I mean, I know you had your annual month of running away after crazy shit goes down, but him taking off on you again has got to be hard! Talk about chemistry! Especially those last few days before everyone left. Anytime I saw you two together, there were sparks flying! It was like the Fourth of July!"

"Okay. I get the picture, Ella. He had his reasons. It's fine. I'm confident I will see him again. It's all okay."

"It's not okay. This guy abandons you, AGAIN, and you're just fine. You should be angry. You should hate the guy and never want to see him again! How many chances are you giving this dick?" Dan spits out in a harsh tone.

" He didn't abandon me. He had a responsibility down south, that only he could take care of. He left because he had to. I will see him again."

"Chloe, you need to face reality. He's not coming back. Lucifer is not someone you can rely on. This is his M.O. He's a runner. He doesn't care about you. If he did, he wouldn't be putting you through this. He's a bad guy."

"I have to work to do," Chloe snaps as she shoves past him.

Ella glares at Dan, smacking him hard on the arm, "Real smooth, Detective Douche!"

* * *

Dan was cautious with his approach, head ducked down, movements slow. He was feeling guilty, not for what he said, but how he had handled the situation. He truly believed everything he said and would continue to stand by it. Chloe didn't deserve for him to just unleash it all on her like that. Not yet, anyway. He knew she needed more time but truly believed she would eventually come around to his way of thinking. She would get over Lucifer, finally able to open her eyes to how bad of a guy he is.

Chloe barely glanced up as he finally arrived in front of her desk.

"If this isn't about a case, Dan, I highly suggest you walk away."

"It is about a case. We just caught one. Ella is already on the scene."

"Okay. We'd get moving," she stated flatly as she stood, grabbing her jacket off the back of her choice, "I'm driving."

After filling her in on the address and what few details were currently known, they rode in awkward silence. Dan was too afraid of making the situation worse. Chloe simply had no interest in talking to anyone. At least, not anyone currently on Earth.

They pulled up to a security gate, being quickly waved through by a uniformed officer. Chloe dipped her head in thanks.

Dan, with his impeccable poor timing, couldn't take the silence and awkwardness that hung in the air, "Chloe, look, I just want to say that I'm sor-"

"Save it, Dan. I don't care to hear what you have to say about the matter. From now on, unless it has to do with the case or Trixie, don't speak to me," she quickly snapped, cutting his apology short.

Looking like a guilty dog, defeat evident in his voice, Dan simply responded with, "Got it. Let's go see what we've got."

As they exited her vehicle, they took in the sight of the massive mansion. They enter home to find a grizzly sight, just inside the entryway. Ella was hunched over the prone figure of a man.

"What have we got, Ella?"

"Meet Oswald Richmond. He's an entrepreneur that's worth just north of a billion dollars. COD appears to be from a gunshot wound from a 9 mil. I can't be sure which one was the fatal shot, but we should know more from the coroner. From what I can gather, Mr. Richmond was on his way out the front door when some popped out of that bush and pow! Pow! Pow! Pow! Pow! And several more pows!" at this point her hand was formed into the shape of a gun and was vividly acting the scene out, "Dude was shot _twelve _times! Twelve! Seems a bit extreme to me! Anyway, it looks like Mr. Richmond dropped somewhere around the third or fourth shot. From there, the killer shot over him, like this, and fired the rest of the shots. No prints, fluids, or fibers, YET! But there is still plenty of scene to be canvassed."

"Thanks. Let us know if you find anything."

"Of course!"

Dan and Chloe started to move about the room, examining the scene. Chloe found herself by a floor to ceiling bookcase, overflowing with old, heavy leather bound books, and expensive looking knick-knacks. Her eyes caught on a small, crystal elephant figurine.

Glancing over, Dan was shocked to see Chloe slide the figurine into her pocket. What the hell? He continued to watch for a moment, thinking maybe he had imagined it. His eyes found his way down to the bulge where the figurine was stashed in her pocket. Surely she was going to put it back. There had to be a reasonable explanation for this.

With a few large strides, Dan was by her side, firmly wapping his hand around her upper arm.

"Can I speak to you in the other room?"

"I'd rather you didn't."

"I'm really not asking. Let's go."

Dan's gripped tightened as he forcefully pulled her toward him and out of the room.

"What is wrong with you?" Chloe demanded and she ripped her arm from his grasp. She spun back toward the doorway he had steered her through a moment ago. Before she could step a step forward, Dan used himself to block her path.

"Chlo, what's going on? I saw you take something and put it in your pocket."

"Mind your own business, Dan"

"You are stealing from I'm crime scene and I'm a cop, so it is my business!"

"It's not like Oswald Richmond needs it anymore! Besides, his family won't miss it either. Look around this place! They have more money and items than they know what to do with!"

"What has gotten into you?'

"Do you want a truth that I know you can't handle, or would you like the comfort of a lie? Actually, I like the option of a lie. It's what is best for me."

"What You're not making any sense."

"Yeah, Dan. A lot of things don't seem to make sense to you."

"Does this have anything to do with Lucifer?"

"Leave him out of this."

"This is not like you. This is not acceptable. You need to put it back or -"

"Or what, Dan? Are you going to tattle on me? Get me in trouble? This wouldn't be the worst thing you've ever covered up. Don't act like you're perfect. I had your back and let a lot of things slide after Charlotte. You owe it to me to back off and let this go. Now, we still have a job to do. We need to go talk to the wife"

Shoving past him, she made her way out of the room. Still in a state of disbelief, Dan let out a heavy sigh while running his fingers through his hair. Something was very wrong. She may insist that it was none of his business, but this was the mother of his child, the woman that he had many intimate memories with, and one of his closest friends. Always the strong one, she had been there for him too many times to count. Now it was his turn to be the strong one.

Entering the kitchen, Dan was surprised by the sheer volume of scantily clad women. The scene looked like a more well lit version of Lux. Uniformed officers were scattered around the room, taking statements.

Looking annoyed, hopefully at the case and not at him, Chloe made her way over to him.

"Apparently at the time of the shooting, all these women were poolside, blasting music and partying it up. No one heard the gunshots. The wife found him. I say we start with her. I know if I had ever come home to find you partying with this many women, I would have shot you."

Smirking, knowing that was the truth, Dan wondered aloud, "So which one is the wife?"

"Rich old man? My money is on the trashiest, sluttiest, youngest girl in the room."

Giving a sideways glance, he watches her eyes narrow thoughtfully as she scanned the room. Her eyes stop, glancing up and down. She's settled on a young brunette, wearing a skin tight dress, heavy makeup, and her neck, wrist, and fingers all adorned with gaudy jewelry. As if her looks alone weren't enough of a spectacle, she was drawing more attention to herself as her body was wracked with overly exuberant sobs.

"Found her! Let's visit with the clearly _grieving _widow."

Carefully picking their way through the throngs of women, the detectives approach the woman.

"Mrs. Richmond, I presume."

"Y-yes," she squecked out.

"I'm Detective Decker and this is Detective Espinosa. We have a few questions for you. Is there

A more private place we can go?"

Nodding, Mrs. Richmond lead them into a sitting room. She took a seat, continuing to let out loud wails.

"Mrs. Richmond, we understand that you were the one that discovered your husband's body?"

"Y-y-yes! It w-w-was awf-" The end of her sentence was cut off by another exaggerated sob.

"Mrs. Richmond. I don't have time for this. I need you pull it together and knock this off. Based on the inheritance you're about to receive, we all know you're not this heartbroken by your husband's death."

"Chloe!" Dan was taken aback. Chloe was well known in the department for her calm and gentle demeanor with the victim's family.

"She's right. I did care for Oswald, but I was in this for the money and lifestyle. You can call me Diamond, by the way."

"Right. Diamond. So here's what I'm thinking. You came home to find your husband surrounded by all these women. You got worried that he may be trying to replace you with a younger model. INstead of facing the possibility that you would get bumped out of the will, you lured your husband to the front door and killed him. How close am I?"

"Look, I may be a golddigger, but I'm not a murderer. Besides, this is my party. I threw it as a surprise for him. I wasn't worried about him leaving me. Oswald was sweet, sincere, and totally obsessed with me. He came home and loved my surprise for him. We were all out back, having fun when he got a phone call. He took the call inside. When he hadn't come back for awhile, I went to go bring him back for some fun with my friend Mandy. That's when I found him. I called the police right away. It really was pretty awful to see."

"Can anyone confirm that you were poolside during the time of the murder?"

"Yeah. About 100 women. You should talk to Mandy. She was with me while Oswald was in the house."

"You said that Mr. Richmond received a phone call? Do you know who it was from?"

"No. I wasn't paying attention to that."

"Did your husband have any enemies? Anyone that may have wanted to hurt him?"

"You don't wind up with this much money and not make a few enemies. I don't think there would be any that would do something like this."

"Do you have any enemies? Someone that might be trying to send you a message or get at you for something?"

"I dated some real losers before Oswald. They are all harmless, though. I guess his kids don't care for me, but I don't see why they would kill their father. That would actually ruin their plans to try and get me cut out of the will. It's a little too late for that now."

"Thank you, Diamond. Here's my card. Let me know if you think of anything else."

The drive back to the precinct was filled with an awkward tension. Dan's eyes kept darting sideways. Chloe couldn't take it anymore.

"Just say whatever you need to say so you can stop looking at me."

"What has gotten into you, Chlo? I have never seen you talk to someone that way during an interview. That was harsh."

"Well, it saved us a lot of time and effort. It seems that being nice, won't get you what you want."

"Seriously. This isn't like you. Being rude to a newly widowed woman, stealing, and pushing your friends away? I'm really worried."

"Don't be. I know what I'm doing."

"Look, I know that Lucifer is gone and -"

"Stop trying to bring him into this," Chloe growled.

"I get that you're angry about that whole situation, but this isn't the way to handle it. I would know."

"Dan, you don't know anything about my _situation_."

"You're right. I don't. That's only because you won't let me in. You need to talk to someone about all this. It doesn't have to be me. Hell, it probably shouldn't be me. What about Linda?"

The laugh that erupted from Chloe was unlike any had ever heard. He thought he knew all her laughs. This one was bitter, making his skin crawl.

"Linda? Trust me when I say that Linda doesn't give a shit. She gave up a month ago. They all did."

"What do you mean by gave up? Who is _they_?"

"I'm not talking about this any longer. Mind your own business. None of this concerns you."

The look she shot him let him know that pushing the issue would be futile. The silence hung in the air. She sat drowning in anger while he could do nothing but worry.

* * *

It's looking like this will be 4 chapters total. Chapter 3 will delve into Chloe's continued spiral, as well as her friends attempts to stop it. The next couple weeks are insanely busy, so it may take a bit longer for me to get the last two chapters up.

Thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing. This is all for my own amusement.

* * *

Pain. That was the first thing she was aware of as she was jolted out of her deep sleep. Her head was . How was it already so bright in here?

"Decker! Get your ass up!"

"Maze…? What do you want?"

Chloe slowly rolled over, a wave of nausea hit her as she tried to sit up.

"Dan called. You didn't show up for work this morning. I went to your place, but it looked like you still hadn't been there since you've been back. This was the next logical stop. You have some kinda party here, Decker? I'm a little hurt you didn't invite me."

Maze walked out toward the main living area. Chloe carefully rolled out of bed, surprised to look down and find that she was wearing a pair of his pajamas. She followed Maze into the other room, using the walls to steady herself.

"What? I didn't have a party."

"So, you did all this damage yourself?" Maze looked impressed as she gestured around the penthouse.

Chloe's eyes widened as she surveyed what she had done. All the white furniture covers had been ripped off and were strewn haphazardly around the floor. The various pieces of the outfit she had been wearing were hanging over random lamps and barstools. A pizza box, with half the pizza still in it, was on the floor next to the piano. There were several bottles, with varying amounts of amber liquid left, set out along the bar. That explained the splitting headache and why she couldn't remember how the penthouse ended up in such disarray.

She remembered getting back to the penthouse, pouring herself a drink, and carefully pulling back the dropcloth from the piano. Taking a seat, she was overwhelmed by her loneliness. She had hoped that being here would help her feel close to him. She downed the rest of her drink, clutching at her necklace. Anger rapidly rose through her as she looked at all the white drop clothes in the room. No wonder she didn't feel close to him here. Maze and Linda had covered up his presence. Forsaking her glass, she guzzled the strong liquor straight from the bottle. Fueled by anger and whiskey, she began to pace the room. This was the last thing she remembered.

Surveying the damage, she felt the anger rising again. She clasped onto the necklace, feeling herself become a little more grounded. Maze glanced over, uneasily, uncertain of which of those pesky human emotions Chloe was currently feeling. Not wanting to find out, she tried to move things along.

"Alright, well it looks like I need to get a cleaning crew up here and you need to get to work. Dan said they finally got a hold of the dead dude's son. He'll be at the station in a few hours."

Snapped out of her thoughts, Chloe responded, "Right. The case. I should get going. Thanks for having the place cleaned for me, but don't bother. I will clean up when I get back later."

"Oh. So you're planning on staying here?"

"Yes. Just until he's back. I wouldn't want him to come home to find the place all boarded up, like we had forgotten about him. I want him to come home and feel welcomed."

"Chloe…"

"And don't worry! I will get the place cleaned up so it's in pristine condition for when he comes back."

"Chloe, he might not-"

"He's coming back. Now, if you'll please excuse me, I have a murder to solve," making it clear that she was finished with this conversation, Chloe quickly retreated toward the bathroom so she could get ready to head into the station.

After a moment, she heard Maze grunt angrily.

"Fine! You can stay as long as you want! I don't even care if you trash the place, as long as you don't touch the piano! I've heard your pathetic attempts at playing."

After another angry grunt, Chloe heard the familiar ding of the elevator closing.

* * *

Keeping her eyes on the floor, Chloe did her best to ignore the stares and whispers of her colleagues. She was three hours late, rocking some huge sunglasses, and looked very disheveled in a very wrinkled outfit that she had dug out of her suitcase. She made a mental note to stop by her apartment and bring a load of her clothes over to the penthouse.

"Damn, girl! You are looking rough! Did you have a night out without me! I'm a little hurt, but given all the recent circumstances, I'm willing to forgive you, this time! But you had better hit me up the next time you go out on the town!"

Chloe winced as Ella's much too cheery, and much too loud voice cut through the air.

"I didn't go out. Have there been any new developments with the case?"

"Actually, there has been. Phone records are in and they are pretty interesting. I was just going to find Dan."

Almost on cue, Dan rounded the corner.

"Chloe! Thank God!" Chloe scoffed at the mention of Lucifer's father. "Chlo, I was so worried. It's not like you to be late. I kept calling, but i was being sent straight to voicemail. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Dan. My phone was off, so the alarm didn't go off. I just overslept. I must not be completely back on schedule after my trip."

"Sure. You overslept. Looks like you had one hell of a night. Seriously, Chloe. What is going on?"

"Drop it, Detective Douche. Ella, you said the phone records were in?"

"Um. Yes. I did say that. So it looks like the phone call that Mr. Richmond left the party to take was from his attorney."

"Great. Dan, what's the ETA on the son?'

"He won't be here for a few hours."

"So we have time to go talk to the attorney. I'll drive." Once again wanting to make it clear she was finished with a conversation, she turned and walked away.

* * *

Dan's knuckles were white as he gripped the dash.

"Jesus, Chloe! Slow down!"

"I didn't realize you were such a pussy!" Chloe laughed.

""I enjoy making it from point A to point B in one piece. I think that hardly qualifies me as being a pussy. And since when do you call people pussies?"

"Since I realized what I had to do," Chloe stated, matter-of-factly.

"What? Since you realized you had to do what? What in the hell is going on with you?"

"What in the Hell, indeed!"

"You're not making any sense. You haven't been making sense. I know that you are hurting. Lucifer abandoned you, again."

"He. Did. Not." Chloe managed through gritted teeth.

"The guy is a loser. You need to get over him. He's not coming back."

"He is. He will come home."

"And if he doesn't."

"I'm working on a plan for that. Drop it."

"Chlo-"

"I said, drop it. Nothing you say will change my mind and nothing I say will make you understand. We're here. Time for you to act like a professional and stay out of my personal life."

Slamming the car door behind her, Chloe exited the vehicle and headed toward the front door of the law office. Letting out a heavy sigh, Dan followed.

Flashing her badge, Chloe stated, "I'm Detective Decker and this is Detective Espinosa. Is Mr. Hornecker in?"

"He is, but he's currently with a client. If you'll have a seat -"

Not interested in waiting, Chloe made a beeline toward the attorney's office door.

"Ma'am, you can't go in there right now! Ma'am!"

Throwing the office door open, Chloe didn't wait for the startled occupants to react.

"We're detectives with the LAPD. We've got some questions for Mr. Hornecker. Everyone else may leave."

"Well it will have to wait. I'm with a client."

"Unless you want your client to know the details about how you murdered another one of your clients, then I suggest you speak with us now."

"This is preposterous! I've never murdered anyone!"

"Tell that to Oswald Richmond. It was your phone call that lured him to his death."

"What? Oswald is dead? That's impossible. I just spoke with him yesterday. He scheduled a meeting for this afternoon."

"I'm afraid he won't be making it. Now, are you ready to answer our questions in private, or would you like to continue this conversation in front of your client?"

"Yes. Right. Excuse me, Mr. Bryant. It seems I may need to take care of this matter. Please see Rose on your way out, to reschedule. You won't be charged for our time today. I do apologize for the inconvenience."

The startled gentleman sitting across from the attorney, swiftly jumped to his feet and rushed out of the office.

"Please, take a seat, Detectives."

"Thank you. Now, Mr. Hornecker, can you please explain why you called Mr. Richmond yesterday, and how the killer, if it wasn't you, knew that you would be calling him at that time?"

"I had missed a call from Oswald earlier and was returning it. I have no idea how the killer would have known. I'm not involved in this. I have absolutely zero motive."

"Right. We will be the judge of that. What did you discuss on the phone with Mr. Richmond?"

"Oswald was trying to give me a heads up about his son, Walter. You see, Oswald was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer a few weeks ago. He hadn't told anyone, except for his son and myself. Walter has always been a bit of a troublemaker, but Oswald never gave up hope that he could turn things around. Unfortunately, Walter got himself into some deep water recently, mostly involving drugs and women. Knowing that he wouldn't be around much longer, Oswald decided he couldn't wait for Walter to grow up. He decided to cut Walter out of the will and split his share between Diamond and his other two children, Megan and Andrew. This didn't sit well with Walter. Oswald wanted to let me know that Walter might try to come see me. He was correct. The reason I missed his call earlier in the day was because Walter was here in my office. He was irate. He was trying to claim that the cancer was affecting Oswald's decision making ability and that the newest version of the will should be null and void. He was also demanding that he should be made Power of Attorney."

"I see. You mentioned earlier that Mr. Richmond had set up a meeting with you today. What was this meeting about?"

"Oswald did want to have his Power of Attorney changed. Walter seemed to think that Diamond had it, but he was wrong. Oswald's eldest child, Megan did. Oswald was worried. Megan has always had a soft spot for Walter. Oswald wanted to make sure that there were no chances for him to weasel his way back in. He did decide to appoint Diamond. He needed to come in and sign the new documents."

"Can you confirm your whereabouts for yesterday between 1 and 2 pm?"

"I was here. You can confirm with my secretary, Rose."

"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Hornecker. If you think of anything else, please give us a call."

* * *

Once back in the car, Chloe could feel Dan's judgemental gaze.

"Don't even start. I got the information we needed. There was no time for pleasantries."

"I wasn't going to say a word."

* * *

Back at the station, Chloe was working quietly at her desk, pretending she couldn't see the worried glances from Dan. They had only been back for about 20 minutes when Walter Richmond arrived, flanked by his attorney.

Chloe sat across from him in the interrogation room, silently sizing him up.

"I'm surprised you can afford an attorney like Miss Brown. From what I hear, Daddy cut you out of the will."

"I'm contesting the will. Dad wasn't in his proper state of mind when it was drafted. He was being taken advantage of."

"Taken advantage of? By who? His black sheep son, who couldn't keep his nose clean and was a constant source of disappointment?"

Looking irritated, but still managing to keep his cool, Walter replied, "No. That whore of his, Diamond. She's obviously a golddigger, trying to squeeze out every penny she can."

"Yes. We heard that she was getting a third of the share that was supposed to go to you. Man. Getting cut out of the will and then to know that part of your share was going to trash like that? That's enough to make anyone mad. Weren't you mad, Walter?"

"I was upset, but mostly concerned for my father's well being."

"Concerned? Murdering him in cold blood is a funny to show concern."

"What!? I didn't murder my father!"

"Awfully stupid move, if you ask me. Why murder him when he's going to die soon anyway?"

"I'm not stupid."

"And even more stupid, you murdered him before getting the will changed back in your favor!"

"I'M NOT STUPID!" Walter roared, leaping to his feet.

Chloe leapt across the table, knocking him to the ground. She wrapped her hands around his neck.

"You are stupid! So stupid that Daddy couldn't trust you with your own share of his estate! So stupid that you murdered the only person that could have changed the will!"

'Chloe, get off him!"

Dan grabbed her around the waist, dragging her backward. Walter struggled to his feet.

"It wasn't supposed to be him! It was supposed to be the whore! I thought it was her walking out! I was so nervous that I fired on the first person that came out and just kept shooting. When I walked up and saw it was him, I was so pissed that he had once again ruined things for me, that I unloaded the rest of the rounds! He was the stupid one, marrying that stupid bimbo!"

Dan continued to drag Chloe out of the room.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Chloe! What the hell was that! Are you trying to lose your job?"

"I got the confession, didn't I?"

"Yeah. By choking him. In front of his lawyer. You know damn well that confession will be inadmissible. Everything else is circumstantial. This guy is gonna walk."

"Maybe I will have to make sure he receives his punishment anyway."

"What the hell does that mean, Chloe?"

"Screw you, Dan."

"You're going to regret it, Chloe."

"That's the point."

"You need to get some help, Chloe. You are not okay."

Before she could respond, they heard the lieutenant's voice boom across the bullpen, "Decker! My office! Now!"

Dan and Ella watched through the blinds in the forensics lab as Chloe stromed out of the precinct about 15 minutes later.

"Dan, I'm really worried about her."

"So am I."

It had been three days since her suspension. At least, she thought it had been three days. The time that had passed since she stromed had was a bit of a blur. She hadn't left the penthouse, instead wanting to spend her time, surrounded by every reminder of him that she could. Initially, his lingering scent in his bed had given her great comfort, but it had faded fast. Now everything smelled like her. she grew more impatient with every passing hour. This was the first extended chunk of time since he left that she was left with nothing to do but think of him. The alcohol helped. Dulled the pain and passed the time. She knew she couldn't continue like this for much longer. As much as she hoped for his return, she knew other means to see him were more likely necessary.

Clutching her necklace, she stared down at the piano keys, trying to convince herself to go find Walter Richmond.

Ding.

Immediately roused out of her gaze, her eyes shot up toward the elevator. Could it be him?

Linda and Amenadial watched the disappoint spread across her face, as her shoulders slumped back down. They were not who she had hoped would step off that elevator.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Linda took a slow, steady step forward, "Dan called. Again. He's really worried about you, Chloe. We all are."

"Don't be. I'm clearly fine. You can leave."

"You're clearly not fine. We are not going to leave. Chloe, we are your friends. We love you and care about you. Let us help you."

"Love me and care about me? Oh. The way you love and care about him? You abandoned him! You gave up on him! You walk around like nothing has changed! What have you all been doing while he needs you?"

"Chloe, we do love and care about Lucifer, but he made a choice. We are just trying to respect it. We have simply accepted that he is gone. We miss him dearly."

"You don't give a shit about him! If you did, you would be trying to do something about it!"

Amenadial stepped forward, "I went down to Hell. I spoke with Lucifer. He made it very clear that he has a responsibility down there. He has a job to do. Chloe, he isn't coming back."

Chloe shrieked, "I don't believe you!"

A bottle went whizzing past Amenadiel, shattering on the elevator doors.

"Chloe. It's okay to miss him and feel this pain. You need to start moving through it and finding a better way to handle it."

"What do you know about pain? As far as I can tell, none of you felt anything when you found out he was gone. I know what pain is and you're not in any. You don't miss him."

"Chloe, that's not fair. We all love Lucifer. You weren't here while we dealt with the immediate aftermath. You ran. You didn't see what we went through while you were gone."

"Bullshit."

"Dan told me that you stole from a crime scene, have been rude, showing up late and hungover to work, binge drinking, speeding, and you assaulted a suspect! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to go to Hell! Wait… Are you trying to go to Hell!?"

Chloe stared at their horrified looks, before responding, "So what if I am?"

"Chloe! That is not where my Father has intended for you to go! You are meant for Heaven!"

"Screw your Father and screw Heaven! I am meant to go where he is! I wasted so much time that I could have been with him. I can't accept that was it. I have to see him again, no matter the cost."

Without another word, Chloe rushed past them, into the elevator. Linda and Amenadial exchanged worried glances, before Linda went to follow Chloe and Amenadial unfurled his wings. He had to speak to his brother.

* * *

Thank you for reading! Hopefully Chapter 4 comes to you with less lag time than Chapter 3!


	4. Chapter 4

Here is the final chapter. A huge thank you to everyone who has read it all the way through!

Disclaimer: I own nothing! This is all for my own amusement!

* * *

Linda stood at the top of the stairs, scanning the Lux dance floor for Chloe. The therapist was hopefully she was still in the building and hadn't made it out to the street, yet. Linda had known that Chloe's self destructive behavior was related to Lucifer, but hadn't realized how deep the motives ran. After the way Hell had been described by Lucifer, Charlotte, and Amenadial, it was hard to imagine someone willingly committing their soul to hell for an eternity.

"What the Hell, Decker?!"

Maze's voice erupting through the nightclub brought Linda's eyes toward the bar. She rushed down the steps, toward the chaos that Chloe was in the center of. As she reached the bar, Maze was prying Chloe off some girl.

"What is going on?"

"I don't know! Chloe came sprinting down here and started a fight! Patrick, get them out of here!"

Maze was holding Chloe back with one arm, while gesturing to a group of girls with the other.

"Decker, settle down, or I will kick your ass out of here too, and that includes the penthouse."

Chloe shot Maze a glare, but stopped struggling.

Taking in the sight of a wild-eyed Chloe, Linda let out a small gasp. Hair disheveled, clothes ripped, and a gash on her forehead that was blossoming with bright red blood. Chloe was in an awful state.

"Chloe, that's going to need some stitches. I will drive."

Touching her hand to her forehead, Chloe looked at the blood on her hand in awe. To everyone's surprise, she silently followed Linda out of Lux.

* * *

"I thought I made myself clear with your last visit, you are not welcome here."

Amenadial moved out of the shadows, taking a few tentative steps toward his brother. Memories of his last visit flashed through his head. He had come to try and convince Lucifer to return to Earth, but was met with a viscous resistance. In the final moments before Amenadial had accepted defeat, he was most taken aback by the look in Lucifer's eyes, reminiscent of a cornered wild beast.

"You were very clear, Luci, but I think you will want to hear what I have to say."

"What? More reasons as to why I should return to Earth? More pleas from Maze and Linda? Give it up, Brother. I have no desire to return to Earth."

"We both know that's not true."

Lucifer turned his back on his brother, afraid of what emotion his face may give away.

"Amenadiel, you are trying my patience. We both know I can be rather unpleasant when it runs out. You are not welcome here. This is my kingdom, afterall. Get out!"

"Linda explained to me that you are pushing me away as a form of self-defense. You are avoiding feeling pain. I understand. I know that me being here is a reminder of everything you lost. I get it and I am here for you, Brother."

"You get it? Ah, yes. I'm sure your pain is unimaginable while you sit on the couch, next to Linda with Charlie in your arms! You, Brother, understand nothing!"

Lucifer spun back toward his brother, flames dancing in his eyes.

"Luci, you're right. I can't begin to imagine how hard it was to come to this decision. You knew that Hell needed to be brought back under control. What I don't understand is why you choose to stay down here. Why not come and go as you please? This is your kingdom and with your wings, you are free to do as you please."

"We've already been over this. Hell is a delicate system. It may be back under control, but if I leave again, it will all deteriorate. I can't risk it. I cannot be the one responsible for Hell leaking out onto Earth. There are too many people I care about there."

"Luci, that's actually why I'm here. It's about Chloe."

With a few strides of his long, powerful legs, Lucifer closed the distance between them.

"What about her?"

"She's not doing well. Honestly, she's completely falling apart. None of us can comfort her or talk any sense into her."

"Well that detective of mine has always been a stubborn one. She's strong. I'm sure that she will come to her senses soon enough. It won't be long before she realizes that she is, indeed, much better off without me! The poor things closure rate may dip in my absence, but the other areas of her life will improve immensely."

"Lucifer, I don't think that's going to happen."

"Oh, Amenadiel. When will everyone learn to stop underestimating her! Trust me. She will be better than ever."

"She is spiraling. She disappeared for a month when you left. We thought she just needed time, but she keeps getting worse. Drinking, pushing everyone away, stealing, and assaulting suspects. She spent the last 3 days holed up in the penthouse, going on a bender that could rival one of yours! Luci, she is actively trying to get herself sent to Hell!"

Lucifer stood in front of his brother, confusion and worry intermingling on his face.

"What? What do you mean she is trying to get sent to Hell? She doesn't belong here!"

"That's what I told her! She is convinced that she is meant to be here."

"But why? I don't understand. Have Linda talk to her. That should fix her right up!"

"Linda has tried. Chloe won't listen. She wants you, Lucifer. She wants to be in Hell because you're in Hell. She won't listen to anyone else. You need to talk to her, Luci. She's hurting."

Amedadial's heart broke as he took in the look on his brother's face. The cornered animal look was gone from his eyes, replaced by the tears starting to well up.

* * *

Ding!

Since she had started staying there, everytime Chloe rode the elevator up to the penthouse, she always half-expected to see him sitting at the piano when the doors opened. This time was no exception. Just like all those other times, she felt the air escape her lungs when the disappointment of him still being in Hell hit her. She recovered quickly, making her way straight to the bar. She had convinced Linda to just drop her off with the promise that they would have a session in the morning. Chloe had no intention of doing any such thing. Grabbing the bottle that seemed like it had the most liquid left, she makes her way out to the balcony. She downed one giant gulp. She was getting ready for a second, but froze. Her eyes scanned the penthouse. Unable to see him, she still knew he was there. She could feel his presence.

For the first time since those moments right after he left, she spoke his name.

"Lucifer?"

"You need to stop. You don't belong in Hell."

"Lucifer!"

Her head snapped toward the shadows his voice had come from, eyes narrowing, searching the darkness. She took a step forward.

"Don't come any closer. Please."

"Lucifer, come out from the shadows. Did you forget that I'm not afraid of you anymore?"

"I know that. It's not you I'm worried about. If you come any closer, I won't be able to bring myself to leave."

"What's so wrong with that?"

"I have my reasons. Please know that I didn't run away. I hoped you would understand. I left for you, and all of humanity, but mostly for you."

"I do understand. I hate that you're gone, but I know you need to be. Understanding doesn't make me miss you any less. I know we can't be together now, but I've figured out how to we can be together again."

"Oh, I know all about your plan. That's why I'm here. You need to stop. You are meant for so much more. I'm begging you, don't throw away eternal peace for me. I have never met anyone so pure and destined for Heaven. That is one of the many reasons, Chloe, that I fell in love with you. I do love you and love you enough to never want to see you in Hell."

"Cut the crap! You don't want to see me in Hell or you just don't want me?"

Stepping out of the shadows, he roars, "Can't you see? That's all I want!"

His demeanor softened immediately, finally getting a good look at her. He frowns at the stitches on her forehead. Taking a few steps forward, he stretches out his arm, bringing his hand to her cheek. His fingers gently caress a small bruise. She slowly brings her hand up to his, wrapping her fingers around his. Looking up into his eyes, she is surprised to see that her is on the verge of tears.

"Seeing you do this to yourself utterly destroys my heart."

With this declaration, the tears begin to roll down his cheeks. Cupping his face in her hands, she uses her thumbs to wipe away his tears. His arms snake down around her back, pulling her in close for a tight hug.

Voice cracking, Chloe whispers, "I'm sorry for hurting you. I never meant to break your heart, but the thought of never seeing you again broke mine."

His hold on her tightens, "Hell is not the place for you, Chloe Decker. You are full of light and deserve to be somewhere it will shine for all eternity. I will never let you go somewhere that will drain it from you. Especially not on account of me."

She pulls back slightly, looking up at his still tear streaked face. His devastated eyes initially avoid hers.

"Lucifer, please look at me," she begs gently. Finally his eyes find hers, "Even after all this time, you still don't get it, Lucifer. You are my light. Without you, that light is gone. I doesn't matter where I am, it's who I'm with. I'm doing what I have to. For me. For us."

"No. This isn't the way. I won't allow it. What about the little urchin? If you continue down this road, you will end up being tortured for eternity, without ever seeing her again. And for what? For me? No."

"Lucifer, you need to stop that. I need to get to hell because I will apparently need an eternity just to convince you that you are worth my love."

She attempted a halfhearted smile after her weak joke. Lucifer just looked back down at her with that confused look he gets whenever she tries to convince him he's worthy of any ounce of her love.

"Lucifer. You are my destiny. I wish I had realized it sooner. I wish I had handled things better. I wasted so much time, and I am so sorry for that, but now that I have finally realized my destiny, I can't live with the thought of never being with you again."

"Chloe, you have nothing to be sorry for. It's not like I was always on my most saintly behavior. I must insist, though, that this is not the way. I can't let you do this. I promise that I will find another way. One that won't end with you in Hell. But I need a promise in return."

"What is it?"

"You have to promise that you will stop what you're doing. You need to promise that you will stop trying to end up in hell."

"What if you can't find another way?"

"Ah, well, Detective, you know me. I never break a promise."

A cool breeze floating across the balcony sent a shiver through Chloe. There was a small whooshing sound as his wings wrapped around her. He pulled her back in tight, rocking slightly from side to side. Sinking into the comfort of his warmth, for the first time, in what felt like ages, Chloe felt a genuine smile coming on, both from the familiar nickname and the comfort of knowing that her man was a Devil of his word.

* * *

That's all she wrote! Thank you for readingI I really do appreciate all the reviews, favorites, and follows!


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